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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Personal Volume

VI. Manufactures

VI. Manufactures.

The manufactures that are first started in a colony are those that are immediately necessary to the colonist in his new surroundings. The bush saw-pit and the blacksmith's forge are the pioneer industries: these are necessary for his house and for the settlement. After them come industries dependent on natural products, which are not so easily obtainable from foreign countries. Soap-boiling from tallow comes early; and after a few years the brewery, even when the malt has to be imported; then tanning leather from hides; but not till a long time after the tannery does the boot factory appear, and the stearine-candle works are quite recent. As New Zealand has magnificent timber, one would expect to find woodware factories early. In reality, however, the cheap timber of America, and even lumber from Norway and the Baltic, were importod up to a late period. At the present time local timbers are being so much utilized that there is little timber imported, and that which we receive is mainly the harder woods of Australia. Fur- page 28 niture, however, of the finer kinds has been and is still being imported. The common or coarser kinds were made early, but even for these we depended upon America. In late years furniture factories have attained a high state of excellence, and there are now manufactured in the colony drawing-room suites that would not disgrace London or Paris. Shipbuilding was an early industry; small schooners were built in almost the pre-colonial days, and still a few wooden vessels are built; but we have had a new kind of shipbuilding—iron and steel shipbuilding are now amongst our industries, and there have been built in the colony several steamers—namely, a total of thirty-one vessels, with a gross tonnage of 3,153, and horse-power 909. This includes one or two steamers framed at Home and put together in the colony. The making of engines too has become established. We have patents even for water-engines invented in the colony; and we have now in all the chief towns foundries, and boilermakers and mechanical engineers engaged in these works. Some months ago a contract was let for the making of locomotives for our railways.

In 1864, notwithstanding that agriculture had made material progress, hardly any agricultural implements were manufactured; even carts were imported; now, New Zealand is an exporter of agricultural implements; her ploughs and harrows are sent to Australia, and the following, amongst other articles, are manufactured in the colony—viz., ploughs, chaff-cutters, grass-mowers, winnowing machines, disc-harrows, drills, reaper and binders, horsepowers, corn-crushers, horse-hoes, scrub-cutters, grass-seed threshers, cream-separators, churns, &c. Various woollen factories have been established in the colony; there are now no less than six in actual operation; these have all been founded within recent years. The amount of wool manufactured in 1884 was about l,600,000lbs., and agencies are now being established to push the sale of the manufactured tweeds in Australia, and small orders have even been sent to Europe. Other woollen factories are page 29 about to start, two being near completion. As the habits of the colonists become more luxurious the manufacture of carriages becomes extensive. Carriages of all kinds are now made in the colony, and some of them are made almost entirely from colonial timber, of which various kinds are very suitable.

I have mentioned that a tannery is an early industry in a colony; we still, however, have to import the finer kinds of leather, and a considerable quantity of ladies' and children's shoes. The imports of leather, boots, shoes, and saddlery in 1864 amounted to £244,727; in 1884, to £251,267. But we can show now an export of leather, which amounted to £37,227 in 1884; there was no leather exported in 1864. Boot factories are now large and extensive, and an industry which has sprung up along with them is the manufacture of the machinery necessary for conducting a boot factory. Saddlery is now made all through the colony, though still a considerable quantity is imported.

Gas is required for lighting our towns, and, following the manufacture of gas, we have had manufactories established for the making of gas-, lead-, and composition-pipes, gas chandeliers, and all kinds of gas fittings. We have several firms also who make all kinds of brass-work, work needed for breweries, distilleries, and other purposes; and these turn out brass-work equal to any that can be imported.

Of recent years some attention has been paid to the export of meat and fish in a preserved state; several companies have been started for this purpose, and it is expected that this year the export of canned fish will be considerable, although still large quantities are imported from America. The export of tinned meat has increased; and, no doubt, with the development of orchards the export of preserved fruit will be soon noted in our Customs returns. Some attention has been paid to the planting of olives and oranges, and in the north of Auckland there will be a considerable amount of tropical and subtropical fruits produced. A little has been done for the rearing of silk- page 30 worms; and the planting of the grape has led to the production of wine—both these in very small quantities. A small factory has been started for carpet-weaving. The clothing factories are very extensive, and there are factories for hat-and shirt-making. All those things that are needed in our houses are now being manufactured. We have kitchen ranges and stoves equal to any that can be imported, and we have now chemical factories, which produce not only various kinds of acids, such as sulphuric acid, but chemical manures, glycerine, &c.

In our agricultural industries, too, we have seen considerable development during recent years in the production of cheese and butter for export. In 1864, as has been stated, we were importers of cheese, butter, and hams; we now export these. Last year the export of these productions amounted to £104,100. The utilization of the New Zealand flax has always been difficult; it has been almost impossible to separate the gum from the fibre. Still we have cordage factories, and, as Manilla is imported, we produce all kinds of twine. There are cordage factories in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Small attempts have been made in glassware, and there are considerable numbers of tinware factories. The actual statistics of the factories it is difficult to obtain. Hitherto there has been no complete record taken at the enumeration of the census, but in 1886 it is proposed to find out accurately the number of manufactories, the amount of goods produced, and the number of workmen employed. I estimate the amount of fallow made up into soap and candles for 1885 to be as follows:—
Tallow made up into candles 2,459 tons.
Tallow made up into soap 1,371 tons.

There are other small industries which it may not be necessary to state—brush factories, &c. One sugar refinery has been established in Auckland. Sugar is brought from the Pacific Islands for the purpose of refining, and the refinery is a large and a very complete one. It may be noted that in Auckland there has been a larger development of page 31 small industries than in any other part of the colony. Many of these have arisen out of the timber industries, and some from the fact that the people in Auckland had to depend upon small industries, as their country was unsuited for any large production of either wool or grain. Some of the small industries in the colony may be mentioned. They are manufacture of tobacco and cigars, blacking, confectionery, pottery and brickware, paper, aerated waters, jam, essences, perfumery, writing ink, pianos, organs, taxidermy. There is also a considerable amount of gold and silver smiths' work done in the colony. There are two paper-mills producing brown and wrapping papers, and some printing paper. Printing, book-binding, and stationery manufacture (from imported paper) are common to all the larger towns. Almost all these industries are the result of twenty years' growth.

The advantage that New Zealand will have in her manufacturing industries are—(1) her climate—she has neither an excess of heat nor cold; (2) her large coal deposits; and (3) never-failing water supplies in almost any part of the colony.